Sparco Evolve Sim Racing Cockpit
The Sparco Evolve is the first Sim Racing Cockpit made by Sparco Gaming, the gaming division of the legendary Italian motorsports manufacturer Sparco. Sparco have massive motorsport heritage, and are probably the world's biggest manufacturer of high-quality equipment & racewear, used in all forms of motorsport including F1. They're now bringing their massive expertise and quality into the Sim Racing market, producing some fantastic products.
And the Evolve is their first ever Sim Racing Cockpit. As soon as you see the Evolve cockpit, you immediately notice something distinctive: the quality of the seats. All brands try to imitate racing seats in their designs, but Sparco Gaming are able to use the actual designs of their real racing seats in their products! The result is outstanding seats with amazing authenticity. Furthermore, because Sparco produce high quality motorsport products that utilise cutting edge specialist materials like Carbon Fibre, Sparco Gaming are also able to incorporate these specialist materials into the design of their gaming products, further enhancing their quality and setting them apart from the competition.
We'll look at each of the 4 different Evolve cockpits to choose from, and then discuss the details of the Evolve chassis.
1) Evolve R100 Sim Racing Simulator Full Cockpit
The Evolve R100 is the cheapest Sim Racing Cockpit offered by Sparco Gaming, with the (relatively) most basic seat in the range. The R100 seat is inspired by a real Sparco performance seat that costs over 300€, and its design is very impressive: matching the Evolve chassis with lovely red and black contrast colours throughout, the whole unit looks great. The R100 seat is also very comfortable, and made of very premium materials. You feel like you're in a sporty bucket seat with the chunky side and leg bolsters, and this sportiness is balanced by good cushioning and padding, so it is pleasant & comfortable to sit in. The R100 may be the cheapest seat in the range, but it really is a very good one!
The R100 is the best seat for people who are bigger than average (wider waists/larger). The reason for this is that the other seats all have very deep side bolsters, like in real racing cars (this authenticity is the inherent appeal of the fantastic Sparco seats). So, this one-size-fits-all approach means that if you are larger/wider than the average person, you will likely find that you don't fit, because the side bolstering makes the seat area too small, so it may either be uncomfortably tight, or you may not even fit at all! We invited some 'bigger' people to see if they could fit in our Evolve-C: the seat sizing is an issue with all serious sim racing cockpits, so If you are bigger than average and definitely want an Evolve Sim Racing Cockpit, then the R100 is your only choice (that's no bad thing!). It's a really nice seat, it just doesn't have the super-deep bolstering that the other, more expensive seats have. Some people will prefer the R100 seat and others will not, but irrespective the Evolve R100 is a great sim racing cockpit!
2) Evolve GRID II Sim Racing Simulator Full Cockpit
The Evolve GRID II seat has much deeper bolsters than the R100, and is a truly authentic bucket racing seat, but it doesn't cost too much more. The GRID II seat is distinctive and great looking, and is the cheapest fully authentic bucket racing seat, with deep bolsters all around, and good padding. When sitting in this it really feels like your sitting inside a racing car, because the seat feels like it 'cocoons' around you, securing you in tightly, as a real racing seat does. We like the GRID II: it's a great authentic bucket racing seat. But, we think that the PRO 2000 looks better, and with its additional cushioning making it also more comfortable (invaluable in longer gaming sessions), it is definitely worth the slight cost increase over the GRID II.
3) Evolve PRO 2000 Sim Racing Simulator Full Cockpit
The Evolve PRO 2000 is in our opinion the Best Value for Money Sim Racing Cockpit offered by Sparco Gaming. It has a beautiful authentic bucket racing seat, with deep bolsters and lots of cushioning and padding to ensure you are comfortable, even during long gaming sessions. Alike the GRID II, when sitting in the PRO 2000, it really feels like your sitting inside a racing car. As great as the PRO 2000 is, we were drawn in by the lure of the utterly exceptional Carbon Fibre Monocoque seat of the Evolve-C...
4) Evolve-C Sim Racing Simulator Full Cockpit
The Evolve-C is the Best Sim Racing Cockpit offered by Sparco Gaming, with a truly exceptional and unique Carbon Fibre Monocoque authentic bucket racing seat. It's difficult to describe how sensational this seat is, and how good the Carbon Fibre looks in reality - it really is special. The Carbon Fibre seats has very deep bolsters so when you sit in the chair, the sides feel like they wrap around you, gripping you tight and really adding to the sense of immersion. There is a good level of cushioning/padding, so it is comfortable. The black and red design matches that of the Evolve chassis, so it looks perfect in combination. This is a unique product unlike any other on the market, with true Italian flair and style. This is the pinnacle of Sparco Gaming's Sim Racing Cockpits - decadent Carbon Fibre, authentic racing heritage and an exquisite design that oozes style - if you can afford it, buy it!
The Evolve chassis
Each of the 4 cockpits all come with the Evolvechassis; it's just the seat that is different. The Evolve chassis looks very attractive, with lovely red and black contrast colouring throughout and some subtle stripes and patterns, the whole design is very stylish - classic Italian design at its best. Sparco appears to have adopted a somewhat minimalist approach for the Evolve Sim Racing Cockpit: there's no unnecessary materials or support for the sake of appearing stronger - everything that there is serves its purpose, and that's that. So it actually means the Evolve looks a bit barren - the wheel deck is supported by 2 vertical bars, and that is it. Compared to other Sim Racing Cockpits, the design of the Evolve is not very cluttered.
The Evolve chassis unfortunately does not have many compatible accessories. Most Sim Racing Cockpits have many accessories, such as Gear Shifter mounts, Keyboard mounts or Monitor stands. Sparco products carry a price premium because of the quality of the brand.
The Evolve chassis is adjustable, so it is easy to find your perfect racing setup, but also made to be strong, designed so that it doesn't flex during use. As well as this, it is flexible and compact so it doesn't take up too much space, and folds into an even more compact state for storage!
Conclusion
The Evolve is a really good Sim Racing Cockpit. The chassis is strong and stable, and the seats are stylish and well-cushioned to help you stay comfortable. The one-size-fits-all approach to seating means larger people may struggle to fit, so they may need to look elsewhere. The lack of official accessories available is disappointing, though there is a Gear Shifter mount, and Sparco Gaming say that a monitor stand is in the works, but until that's released you will need a third party stand (which is no issue really). The prices are quite high, but these are Sparco products, a brand renowned in motorsport for having a rich history of great design and quality, so there is a price to pay for this - it's up to you to decide whether that price is worth it...